‘Extremely dangerous precedent’ set by Trump’s attack on Venezuela, six countries warn – live

Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay condemn ‘dangerous precedent’ set by US attack on Venezuela

Sam Jones

The governments of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay have just put out this strong joint statement in response to what they term “the gravity of the events occurring in Venezuela”, saying the US’s actions “constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population”.

In an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s assertion that the US will “run” Venezuela and oversee oil production, the six governments also express concern “regarding any attempt at government control, administration, or external appropriation of natural or strategic resources”.

The statement reads:

We express our profound concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory, which contravene fundamental principles of international law, particularly the prohibition of the use and threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. These actions constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and put the civilian population at risk.

We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, by means of dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law. We reaffirm that only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic and sustainable solution that respects human dignity.

We reaffirm the character of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, built on mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and non-intervention, and we call for regional unity, beyond political differences, in the face of any action that jeopardises regional stability. We also urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Member States of the relevant multilateral mechanisms to use their good offices to contribute to de-escalating tensions and preserving regional peace.

We express our concern regarding any attempt at government control, administration, or external appropriation of natural or strategic resources, which is incompatible with international law and threatens the political, economic, and social stability of the region.

Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, that if she did not comply with demands from the US that she could pay a “bigger price” than the captured president Nicolás Maduro.

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The US president conducted a short telephone interview with The Atlantic magazine as he was on his way to play golf in Florida.

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“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said.

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The US has commandedVenezuela to stop involvement in “narco terrorism” drug smuggling operations to the US, distance itself from US adversaries such as Cuba, Iran and militant proxies such as the Hezbollah group and facilitate the US overseeing its oil operations.

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He did not explain his comments on Saturday that the US will run Venezuela, which senior Republican figures such as secretary of state Marco Rubio were backpedaling from at speed on Sunday.

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PHOTO: Delcy Rodriguez addressing the media in Caracas, Venezuela last March.”,”caption”:”FILE PHOTO: Delcy Rodriguez addressing the media in Caracas, Venezuela last March.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Leonardo Fernández Viloria/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767550781000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”13.19 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767553051000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”13.57 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767553051000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.57 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.57″,”title”:”Trump threatens Venezuela’s interim leader”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 4 Jan 2026 14.13 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 4 Jan 2026 01.13 EST”},{“id”:”695aadb78f085ed25e9e38ff”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

It’s a lively day in international politics after the US intervention in Venezuela, with much comment and question about what happened, what it means and what’s to come. As many prominent figures are speaking up and developments continue on the ground in Caracas, we’ll keep you up to date with the news as it happens.

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Here’s where things stand:

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n
The governments of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay put out a strong joint statement saying the US actions in Venezuela “constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population”, in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s assertion that the US will “run” Venezuela and oversee oil production there.

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Venezuela’s defense minister, General Vladímir Padrino López, issued a statement recognizing the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, as the country’s acting president. He said Venezuela’s military “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” of the dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores by the US.

n
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to distance this weekend’s invasion of Venezuela from other invasions such as the US in Iraq more than 20 years ago, saying the events, despite their apparent similarities, are “very different.”

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Rubio said on CBS that the US will continue to place pressure on Venezuela by seizing Venezuelan oil shipment boats. The Trump administration has repeatedly expressed a desire to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves after ousting Maduro..

n
Prominent US Republicans including Rubio and Senators Tom Cotton and Jim Jordan, both senate committee chairmen, on Sunday were swiftly backpedaling on Donald Trump’s assertions in a press conference on Saturday, just hours after the military intervention in Venezuela and the snatching of Maduro, that the US “will run” Venezuela in transition. The men essentially talked about pressuring the country’s Venezuelan leadership to comply with US demands about its future conduct.

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Pope Leo – the first American pontiff – said Venezuela must remain an independent country, as he called for respect of human rights after Nicolás Maduro’s capture by the US. Addressing crowds at the Vatican in Rome after Sunday prayer, the Pope – who spent years as a missionary in Peru – said: “The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over any other consideration.”

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The statement reads:

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We express our profound concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory, which contravene fundamental principles of international law, particularly the prohibition of the use and threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. These actions constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and put the civilian population at risk.

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We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, by means of dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law. We reaffirm that only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic and sustainable solution that respects human dignity.

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We reaffirm the character of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, built on mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and non-intervention, and we call for regional unity, beyond political differences, in the face of any action that jeopardises regional stability. We also urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Member States of the relevant multilateral mechanisms to use their good offices to contribute to de-escalating tensions and preserving regional peace.

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We express our concern regarding any attempt at government control, administration, or external appropriation of natural or strategic resources, which is incompatible with international law and threatens the political, economic, and social stability of the region.

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Venezuela’s defense minister, General Vladímir Padrino López, issued a statement recognizing the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, as the country’s acting president.

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In the document, Padrino López first stressed that the Venezuelan armed forces “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” of the dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and said US troops had “cold-bloodedly assassinated much of his security detail, soldiers and innocent civilians”, without providing specifics such as names or death toll.

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He then wrote that, in “strict compliance” with Venezuelan law, the military would abide by a supreme court ruling appointing Rodríguez “in an acting capacity, with all the powers, duties and faculties of the president of the republic”.

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Yesterday, at the press conference following Maduro’s capture, Donald Trump said Rodríguez, who had served as vice-president since the contested 2018 election, would be left in charge of the country and was willing to work with the US to “make Venezuela great again”.

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Although Rodríguez kept a defiant tone in a televised address hours later, demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said on Sunday that Washington would judge her and other remaining figures in the regime by their “actions and facts” in the coming days, not by their public statements.

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Padrino López added in his Sunday statement that the armed forces would “guarantee the country’s governability” and use “all available capacities to defend the country, maintain internal order and preserve peace.

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He also wrote that Venezuela’s military apparatus, in what he described as a “perfect fusion of the people, police and armed forces”.

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He also wrote that Venezuela’s military apparatus, in what he described as a “perfect fusion of the people, police and armed forces” – a reference to the militias the regime says it has at its disposal – remained mobilized to “confront imperial aggression, forming a single combat bloc to ensure the freedom, independence and sovereignty of the nation”.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to distance this weekend’s invasion of Venezuela from similar invasions in recent decades, saying the events, despite their similarities, are “very different.”

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Some analysts equated the US invasion of Venezuela and the abduction of president Nicolás Maduro to other events in recent decades, including the invasion of Iraq and other military excursions in the Middle East.

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“This is not the Middle East. And our mission here is very different. This is the Western Hemisphere,” Rubio said on CBS News’ Face the Nation. “Within the Western Hemisphere, we have a country, potentially a very rich country, that has cozied itself up — under the control of this regime — has cozied up to Iran. Has cozied up to Hezbollah. Has allowed narco-trafficking gangs to operate with impunity from their own territory, allows boats with drugs to traffic from their territory.”

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The US invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein under the guise of ridding the country of “weapons of mass destruction” and Hussein’s alleged ties to terrorist groups.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS News’ Face the Nation that the US will continue to place pressure on Venezuela by seizing Venezuelan oil shipment boats.

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“There’s a quarantine right now in which sanctioned oil shipments, there’s a boat, and that boat is under US sanctions, we go get a court order, we will seize it,” Rubio said. “That remains in place, and that’s a tremendous amount of leverage that will continue to be in place until we see changes that — not just further the national interest of the United States, which is number one — but also that lead to a better future for the people of Venezuela.”

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The Trump administration has repeatedly expressed a desire to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves after ousting Maduro.

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In December, the US government seized a Venezuelan oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, considered by some analysts to be an act of piracy. Trump then said that the US would keep or sell the seized Venezuelan oil.

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During Trump’s press conference on Saturday, he said that Venezuela had stolen oil that belongs to the US, despite oil being in Venezuelan territory.

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Tom Cotton, the Republican chair of the Senate intelligence committee, admitted on CNN’s State of the Union that there were “still a lot of questions to be answered” about what happens next in Venezuela. He reined sharply back on Trump’s claim that the US would run the country, redefining that startling comment as meaning that the leadership would have to abide by US demands.

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“The president wants to give them a chance to turn the page in Venezuela and to help America achieve our policy goals there,” he said. Cotton listed some of the US government’s demands, including: “we want them to stop the drug trafficking. We want them to kick out the Iranians, the Cubans, the Islamic radicals.”

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“Just return to being a normal nation that will help build stability, order and prosperity, not just in Venezuela, but in our backyard,” Cotton added.

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Cotton also gave a more lukewarm assessment of Venezuela’s vice president Delcy Rodriguez, whom Trump has indicated the US could possibly work with. “We don’t recognize Delcy Rodriguez as the legitimate ruler of Venezuela,” the senator said.

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He added: “I don’t think that we can count on Delcy Rodriguez to be friendly to the United States until she proves it.”

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When asked by NBC News if the US will target the Cuban government next, Rubio said “the Cuban government is a huge problem” and when pressed on whether this remark meant yes, Rubio said: “I think they’re in a lot of trouble”.

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He added:

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I’m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be and our policies are going to be right now in this regard. But I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime.

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Cuba – one of Venezuela’s closest allies – has condemned the US attack as an “act of state terrorism” and is closely monitoring the situation in Caracas. The country, which relies heavily on Venezuelan oil, is in a deep economic crisis.

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Pope Leo – the first American pontiff – said Venezuela must remain an independent country as he called for respect of human rights after Nicolás Maduro’s capture by the US.

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Addressing crowds at the Vatican after Sunday prayer, the Pope – who spent years as a missionary in Peru – said: “The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over any other consideration.”

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That must “lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country, ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the constitution, respecting the human and civil rights of each and every person, and working together to build a peaceful future of collaboration, stability, and harmony, with special attention to the poorest who are suffering because of the difficult economic situation”.

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Leo delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Vatican.”,”caption”:”Pope Leo delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Vatican.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Elisabetta Trevisan – Vatican Media/Vatican Pool/Getty Images”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767535816000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.10 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767539355000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”10.09 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767536363000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”09.19 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”09.19″,”title”:”Pope calls for Venezuela to remain independent of US”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 4 Jan 2026 14.13 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 4 Jan 2026 01.13 EST”},{“id”:”695a6e348f085ed25e9e373b”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n
A plane believed to have been carrying Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York on Saturday evening. Maduro was taken to the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices and is now believed to be at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

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CBS News reported that Maduro arrived at the MDC at about 8:52pm ET on Saturday, where he was filmed making a “perp walk” handcuffed and escorted by agents in a video posted on social media by the White House’s official rapid response account. In the video, Maduro, who is wearing a black hooded top and hat, walks down a hallway with a carpet that says “DEA NYD”. He can be heard saying “Goodnight” and “Happy new year”.

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Donald Trump told a press conference on Saturday “We’re going to run the country [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”. He did not give further details.

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A newly unsealed US justice department indictment accuses Nicolás Maduro of running a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fuelled by an extensive drug-trafficking operation that flooded the US with thousands of tons of cocaine.

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The US is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the military operation, Trump said. “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”

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Trump said his administration had not spoken to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado. He said he did not think she would be able to return to lead Venezuela, saying: “She does not have the support in Venezuela. She is a very nice woman but she does not have the support.”

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Venezuela’s supreme court has ordered vice president Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president in Maduro’s absence.

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Asked about Trump’s comment that the US will “run” Venezuela temporarily, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News: “President Trump sets the terms … But it means the drugs stop flowing. It means the oil that was taken from us is returned, ultimately, and that criminals are not sent to the United States.”

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The UN security council is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday.

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The UN secretary general, António Guterres, is deeply alarmed by US military action in Venezuela, his spokesperson has said, and considered the US intervention “a dangerous precedent”.

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The New York Times reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday’s attack. The estimate came from a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Global reaction has been filtering in over the day. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has been urged by opposition parties to condemn the US military action in Venezuela, but he has so far refused. The former US vice president, Kamala Harris, has posted to X to say the American actions in Venezuela were “unlawful and unwise” moves that “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable”. North Korea has reportedly condemned the US’s capture of Nicolás Maduro as a “serious encroachment of sovereignty”. Spain – which has the largest Venezuelan diaspora outside of the US – has condemned what it called a violation of international law.

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Venezuelans around the world have celebrated after the US government captured and removed the authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro. Over recent years, million of Venezuelans have fled the country, driven out by a mixture of widespread shortages and intense political repression.

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After hearing the dramatic news of the US attack, crowds of people gathered in countries including Argentina, Chile and Colombia, to wave flags, sing songs and dance in jubilation, while others gathered to condemn the US government’s strikes on Venezuela and voiced opposition to military action.

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Here is some video showing the differing moods on the streets:

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Deborah Cole is a Berlin correspondent for the Guardian

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The US bombardment of Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro, have renewed fears of an American takeover of Greenland, as members of Donald Trump’s Maga movement gleefully set their sights on the Danish territory after the attack in South America.

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Just hours after the US military operation in Venezuela, the rightwing podcaster Katie Miller – the wife of Stephen Miller, Donald Trump’s powerful deputy chief of staff for policy – posted on X a map of Greenland draped in the stars and stripes with the caption: “SOON.”

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US vice-president, JD Vance (centre), and his wife, Usha, tour the US military’s base at Pituffik in Greenland in March last year.”,”caption”:”The US vice-president, JD Vance (centre), and his wife, Usha, tour the US military’s base at Pituffik in Greenland in March last year.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Jim Watson/AP”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The threat to annex the mineral-rich territory, which is part of the Nato alliance, drew immediate outrage from Danes.

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Copenhagen’s ambassador to the US, Jesper Møller Sørensen, reposted Miller’s provocation with a “friendly reminder” of the longstanding defence ties between the two countries.

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You can read the full story here:

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The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that the country’s vice-president Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who is in custody at a New York detention centre after he was captured during US strikes on Venezuela yesterday.

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The court ruling said that Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation.”

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The judges stopped short of declaring Maduro permanently absent from office, a ruling that requires holding elections within 30 days.

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Rodríguez – also minister for both finance and oil – chaired a national defence council session shortly after the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and reportedly demanded the couple’s “immediate release” while denouncing the US operation.

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As confusion spread across the country, she called for unity and calm on Saturday evening, saying Venezuela would “never again be the colony of any empire” and that Maduro was the country’s only president.

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Supreme Court late on Saturday ordered the vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to become the country’s interim leader.”,”caption”:”Venezuela’s Supreme Court late on Saturday ordered the vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to become the country’s interim leader.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Leonardo Fernández Viloria/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767527271000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”06.47 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767528481000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”07.08 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767528481000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”07.08 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”07.08″,”title”:”Who is running Venezuela now?”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 4 Jan 2026 14.13 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 4 Jan 2026 01.13 EST”},{“id”:”695a44538f085ed25e9e362c”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

North Korea has reportedly become the latest country to condemn the US’s capture of Nicolás Maduro as a “serious encroachment of sovereignty” (see post at 08.49 for reactions from other world leaders).

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Pyongyang’s foreign ministry “strongly denounces the US hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela”, a ministry spokesperson said in a statement carried by the official KCNA.

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“The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the US,” they added.

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Pyongyang, a supporter of Maduro’s socialist regime in Caracas, described the Venezuelan president’s removal as a “wanton violation of the UN charter and international laws with respect for sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity as their main purpose”.

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The comments come after South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said that they detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s capital region at about 7.50am local time (on Sunday).

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Jong Un (C) visiting a major munitions industry enterprise to review the production of weapons and combat equipment at an undisclosed location in North Korea on 28 December 2025.”,”caption”:”Kim Jong Un (C) visiting a major munitions industry enterprise to review the production of weapons and combat equipment at an undisclosed location in North Korea on 28 December 2025.”,”credit”:”Photograph: KCNA/EPA”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In recent weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made numerous visits to weapons factories, as well as to a nuclear-powered submarine, and has overseen missile tests ahead of this year’s Ninth Party Congress of the Workers’ Party, which will set out major policy goals.

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Pyongyang has for decades argued it needs its nuclear and missile programmes as a deterrent against alleged regime change efforts by Washington.

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The former US vice president, Kamala Harris, has posted to X to say the American actions in Venezuela were “unlawful and unwise” moves that “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable”. She said:

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n

That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.

n

The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to. This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman. If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.

n

The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home.

n

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Many countries viewed Nicolás Maduro as an illegitimate dictator but the legality of the operation to capture him and his wife has been seriously called into question – with some experts and observers saying it violated international law, ignored sovereign territorial rights and was reckless and potentially destabilising to the wider region.

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My colleague Geraldine McKelvie spoke to leading experts in the field of international law to ask for their view on the rapidly unfolding events in Venezuela. Here is an extract from her story:

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n

The experts the Guardian spoke to agreed that the US is likely to have violated the terms of the UN charter, which was signed in October 1945 and designed to prevent another conflict on the scale of the second world war. A central provision of this agreement – known as article 2(4) – rules that states must refrain from using military force against other countries and must respect their sovereignty.

n

Geoffrey Robertson KC, a founding head of Doughty Street Chambers and a former president of the UN war crimes court in Sierra Leone, said the attack on Venezuela was contrary to article 2(4) of the charter. “The reality is that America is in breach of the United Nations charter,” he added. “It has committed the crime of aggression, which the court at Nuremberg described as the supreme crime, it’s the worst crime of all.”

n

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The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has been urged by opposition parties to condemn the US military action in Venezuela.

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Starmer has been repeatedly accused of kowtowing to the Trump administration, wanting to keep on side of Washington for economic and security reasons.

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On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme this morning, Starmer was asked if he wanted to condemn the US attack on the sovereign country.

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“I want to get all the material facts together and we simply haven’t got the full picture at the moment – it is fast moving,” he said, confirming again that there was no UK involvement in the US military operation.

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The Labour leader said he needs to speak to Trump and other UK allies before commenting further. He said “he has been a lifelong advocate for international law” but refuses to condemn the US attack as he “wants to ensure he has all the facts” at his “disposal”.

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Starmer being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg for her BBC politics programme.”,”caption”:”Keir Starmer being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg for her BBC politics programme. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767517429000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.03 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767520164000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.49 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767519831000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.43 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.43″,”title”:”Keir Starmer refuses to condemn US attack on Venezuela”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 4 Jan 2026 14.13 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 4 Jan 2026 01.13 EST”},{“id”:”695a20d28f085ed25e9e35b4″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here is a round up of how world leaders have reacted to the US’s bombardment of Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a military operation condemned by Democrats on Capitol Hill as the most dangerous example of US imperialism since the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003. The reaction has been mixed:

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n
China said the US should immediately release Maduro and his wife and resolve the situation in Venezuela through negotiation. The country’s foreign ministry said their deportation violated international law and norms.

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Russia demanded for the US to “reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife”.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the US bombing and capture attack crossed “an unacceptable line” and represented “a grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.”

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The Philippines urged “concerned parties” to avoid actions that could further escalate tensions, with the country’s foreign affairs spokesperson quoted as having said Manila is closely monitoring the “evolving” situation in Venezuela.

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Colombian President Gustavo Petro – whose country neighbours Venezuela – called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.

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Mexico, which Donald Trump has also threatened with military force over drug trafficking, said the US military operation “seriously jeopardises regional stability”.

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Cuba, a strong ally of Venezuela, denounced “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people”.

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Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said the intervention “violates international law and pushes the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and militarism”.

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German chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Maduro had “led his country to ruin”, but called the US action legally “complex”.

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Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni – a Trump ally – argued the US military action in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive”.

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France said the US operation undermined international law. The country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, called for 2004 presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to lead a political transition.

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The UK prime minister Keir Starmer said: “We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime. I reiterated my support for international law this morning.”

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Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, an ally of Trump, posted on social media in the early hours: “Liberty advances! Long live Liberty!” while Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, said “time was coming for all the narco-Chávista criminals”.

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A newly unsealed US justice department indictment accuses Nicolás Maduro of running a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fuelled by an extensive drug-trafficking operation that flooded the US with thousands of tons of cocaine.

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Here’s a look at the accusations against Maduro and the charges he faces.

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Nicolás Maduro is reported to have arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to US media.

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He is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday, according to officials.

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CBS News reported Maduro arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center, known as MDC, at about 8:52pm ET on Saturday.

n The facility has held several high profile inmates, including rapper Sean “Diddy”, who was held there during his trial, until he was sentenced following his conviction on federal prostitution-related charges.

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Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, who was found guilty of fraud charges, was also held at MDC, while Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is also held there.

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Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the US attacks on Venezuela and its capture of Nicolás Maduro.

n Maduro has now been brought to the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, according to US media – more on that in a moment.

n Here is a summary of the most significant developments in the past 24 hours:

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n
A plane believed to have been carrying Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York on Saturday evening. Maduro was taken to the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices and is now believed to be at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

n
A video, posted on social media by the White House’s official rapid response account, appeared to show Maduro handcuffed and escorted by agents at the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices. In the video, Maduro, who is wearing a black hooded top and hat, walks down a hallway with a carpet that says “DEA NYD”. He can be heard saying “Goodnight” and “Happy new year”.

n
Donald Trump told a press conference on Saturday “We’re going to run the country [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”. He did not give further details.

n
The US is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the military operation, Trump said. “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”

n
Trump said his administration had not spoken to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado. He said he did not think she would be able to return to lead Venezuela, saying: “She does not have the support in Venezuela. She is a very nice woman but she does not have the support.”

n
Venezuela’s supreme court has ordered vice president Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president in Maduro’s absence.

n
Asked about Trump’s comment that the US will “run” Venezuela temporarily, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News: “President Trump sets the terms … But it means the drugs stop flowing. It means the oil that was taken from us is returned, ultimately, and that criminals are not sent to the United States.”

n
The UN security council is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday.

n
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, is deeply alarmed by US military action in Venezuela, his spokesperson has said, and considered the US intervention “a dangerous precedent”.

n
The New York Times reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday’s attack. The estimate came from a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Donald Trump is now fine with the principle of regime change imposed on another country by the United States, according to a short telephone interview he conducted on Sunday morning.

Talking to The Atlantic, the US president said, after the US removal by force of Venezuelan president Nicholás Maduro and Trump’s rapid assertions that the US will run the country in the interim: “You know, rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse.”

His interviewer pointed out that Trump had specifically in the past campaigned against a policy of favoring regime change in other countries, and he campaigned in 2024 on a policy of “America first” and shying away from military intervention abroad.

Trump didn’t explain how he thought removing the president of Venezuela and trying to engineer how that country will be run was or will turn out to be a fundamentally different kind of venture from the US invading Iraq, removing Saddam Hussein and operating inside that country.

What he did say was: “I didn’t do Iraq. That was Bush. You’ll have to ask [President George W] Bush that question, because we should have never gone into Iraq. That started the Middle East disaster.”

Protester in a Donald Trump mask holding a pig's head with a sign that reads, — Protester in a Donald Trump mask holding a pig’s head with a sign that reads, “Oilygarchy” attached takes part in Times Square, New York protest organized by The People’s Forum against the US military operation in Venezuela. Photograph: Edna Leshowitz/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Trump threatens Venezuela’s interim leader

The US president conducted a short telephone interview with The Atlantic magazine as he was on his way to play golf in Florida.

“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said.

He did not explain his comments on Saturday that the US will run Venezuela, which senior Republican figures such as secretary of state Marco Rubio were backpedaling from at speed on Sunday.

FILE PHOTO: Delcy Rodriguez addressing the media in Caracas, Venezuela last March. Photograph: Leonardo Fernández Viloria/Reuters

Summary

Here’s where things stand:

The governments of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay put out a strong joint statement saying the US actions in Venezuela “constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population”, in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s assertion that the US will “run” Venezuela and oversee oil production there.
Venezuela’s defense minister, General Vladímir Padrino López, issued a statement recognizing the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, as the country’s acting president. He said Venezuela’s military “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” of the dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores by the US.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to distance this weekend’s invasion of Venezuela from other invasions such as the US in Iraq more than 20 years ago, saying the events, despite their apparent similarities, are “very different.”
Rubio said on CBS that the US will continue to place pressure on Venezuela by seizing Venezuelan oil shipment boats. The Trump administration has repeatedly expressed a desire to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves after ousting Maduro..
Prominent US Republicans including Rubio and Senators Tom Cotton and Jim Jordan, both senate committee chairmen, on Sunday were swiftly backpedaling on Donald Trump’s assertions in a press conference on Saturday, just hours after the military intervention in Venezuela and the snatching of Maduro, that the US “will run” Venezuela in transition. The men essentially talked about pressuring the country’s Venezuelan leadership to comply with US demands about its future conduct.
Pope Leo – the first American pontiff – said Venezuela must remain an independent country, as he called for respect of human rights after Nicolás Maduro’s capture by the US. Addressing crowds at the Vatican in Rome after Sunday prayer, the Pope – who spent years as a missionary in Peru – said: “The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over any other consideration.”

Senator Jim Jordan spoke further on Sunday to echo Trump’s claims accusing Venezuela of taking oil that belonged to the US government.

“When that country took assets that belonged to American companies — that’s wrong,” Jordan said on CNN’s State of the Union. “That’s all President Trump is saying is going to change in the future relative to oil. I think that makes sense. They took property from American companies. That makes sense that there’s going to be some kind of compensation, some kind of reckoning for that.”

After Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1999, his “Bolivarian Revolution” movement nationalized a number of privately-run oil fields and reserves in Venezuela, including some owned by international oil companies. Resources from the state-owned petroleum company were then used to fund social programs in the country.

Trump on Saturday accused Nicolás Maduro, Chavez’s successor, of stealing oil from the US. In recent months, as the Trump administration’s pressure on the country increased, the administration seized a Venezuelan oil ship. Trump later said the US would keep the oil or sell it.

US Senator Jim Jordan on Capitol Hill last month. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

Republican Congressman and chairman of the Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan said on Sunday that the US government’s abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife were consistent with the “America First” philosophy Trump ran on.

“Getting a bad guy brought to justice who’s had a five-year arrest warrant, that is certainly consistent with that theme and that message as well,” Jordan said during CNN’s State of the Union. “So I think the American people appreciate that. And, frankly, I think that’s the message we go tell the American people in this midterm election. President Trump and Republicans did what we said we would do. We’re doing that.”

Jordan’s claims contrast with hardline Maga Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comments, who called out the Trump administration’s actions, saying they did not follow “America First.”

Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay condemn ‘dangerous precedent’ set by US attack on Venezuela

Sam Jones

The statement reads:

We express our profound concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory, which contravene fundamental principles of international law, particularly the prohibition of the use and threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. These actions constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and put the civilian population at risk.

We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, by means of dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law. We reaffirm that only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic and sustainable solution that respects human dignity.

We reaffirm the character of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, built on mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and non-intervention, and we call for regional unity, beyond political differences, in the face of any action that jeopardises regional stability. We also urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Member States of the relevant multilateral mechanisms to use their good offices to contribute to de-escalating tensions and preserving regional peace.

We express our concern regarding any attempt at government control, administration, or external appropriation of natural or strategic resources, which is incompatible with international law and threatens the political, economic, and social stability of the region.

Delcy Rodríguez recognized as Venezuela’s acting president by defense minister

Tiago Rogero

Venezuela’s defense minister, General Vladímir Padrino López, issued a statement recognizing the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, as the country’s acting president.

He also wrote that Venezuela’s military apparatus, in what he described as a “perfect fusion of the people, police and armed forces”.

Edward Helmore

Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a stalwart Maga Republican, told NBC’s Meet the Press that Maduro’s capture is not “America First”.

“If this was really about narcoterrorists and about protecting Americans from cartels and drugs being brought into America, the Trump administration would be attacking the Mexican cartels” Greene said Sunday.

Many Republicans argued Sunday that the US military action in Venezuela conforms to “America First” because it projects good house-keeping in the Western Hemisphere that benefits the US.

Greene said she was “not defending Maduro and of course I’m happy for the people of Venezuela to be liberated.”

“But Americans celebrated the liberation of the Iraqi people after Saddam Hussein. They celebrated the liberation of the Libyan people after Gaddafi. And this is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of that doesn’t serve the American people, but actually serves the big corporations, the banks, and the oil executives.”

Speaking of Maga priorities, she said “we don’t consider Venezuela our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is right here in the 50 United States, not in the southern hemisphere”, adding “my understanding of ‘America First’ is strictly for the American people, not for the big donors that donate to big politicians”.

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) walks to her final vote, surrounded by staff, in WashingtonU.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) gets into an elevator as she heads to her final vote, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 17, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein — U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) walks to her final vote, surrounded by staff, in Washington
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) gets into an elevator as she heads to her final vote, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 17, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stopped short of criticizing the Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on Sunday morning, instead criticizing the lack of congressional approval for the operation and Donald Trump’s domestic policies.

“Donald Trump claims that he’s going to run Venezuela. He’s done a terrible job running the United States of America. Life hasn’t gotten better for the American people over the last year; life has gotten worse,” Jeffries said. “So the notion that he’s going to run Venezuela and make life better for the Venezuelan people of course is belied by the facts as to what he’s done as President here in the United States of America.”

Jeffries said that the operation was a “military action” and urged the Trump administration to consult with congress before any further steps.

“This was not simply a counter narcotics operation. It was an act of war. It involved, of course, the Delta Force. And we’re thankful for the precision by which they executed the operation, and thankful for the fact that no American lives were lost,” Jeffries said. “So of course this was a military action, and pursuant to the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war to authorize acts that take place in this regard.”

“We have to make sure when we return to Washington D.C. that legislative action is taken to ensure that no further military steps occur absent explicit congressional approval,” Jeffries added.

Marco Rubio attempts to distance US attack on Venezuela from past invasions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS News’ Face the Nation pushed back on questioning regarding why other top Venezuelan officials and Nicolás Maduro allies were not also abducted by US forces. Rubio underscored that the operation to abduct Maduro was a complicated one.

“Imagine the howls we would have from everybody else if we actually had to go and stay there four days to capture four other people,” Rubio said. “We got the top priority.”

A number of other top Venezuelan officials, who worked closely with Maduro, remain in the country. One of those, Venezuelan interior minister Diosdado Cabello, has also been indicted by the US government and has a $25 million reward.

“It is not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country — the guy lived on a military base — land within three minutes, kick down his door, grab him, put him in handcuffs, read him his rights, put him in a helicopter and leave the country without losing any American or any American assets. That’s not an easy mission,” Rubio said.

“And you’re asking me: ‘why didn’t we do that in five other places at the same time?’ I mean, that’s absurd.”

Marco Rubio: US to continue to pressure on Venezuela by seizing oil shipment boats

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS News’ Face the Nation that the US will continue to place pressure on Venezuela by seizing Venezuelan oil shipment boats.

The Trump administration has repeatedly expressed a desire to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves after ousting Maduro.

During Trump’s press conference on Saturday, he said that Venezuela had stolen oil that belongs to the US, despite oil being in Venezuelan territory.

US senator Chris Murphy, questioned the Trump administration’s motives for abducting and removing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on CNN.

“If this is really just about the oil, if this is really just about the natural resources, if this is just about getting a bunch of Donald Trump’s friends even richer, I don’t think there is a single American family who would support having their son or daughter put into harm’s way to defend the interests of Wall Street,” Murphy said. “This is once again American oil interests, American financial interests, coming before the actual national security interests of the United States.”

Chris Murphy, the US senator from Connecticut, criticized the Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela on CNN.

Murphy equated the US attacks on Venezuela and the abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro to other US wars in other parts of the world.

“Over and over again we have seen these warmongering neocons, many of which have influence in this White House, cheerlead us into war under the guise of removing a ‘very bad man’,” Murphy said, likely referring to the long-running US wars in the Middle East. “That ends up getting a lot of Americans killed.”

Republican walks back Trump’s claim US will ‘run’ Venezuela

Ed Pilkington

“Just return to being a normal nation that will help build stability, order and prosperity, not just in Venezuela, but in our backyard,” Cotton added.

He added: “I don’t think that we can count on Delcy Rodriguez to be friendly to the United States until she proves it.”

‘Extremely dangerous precedent’ set by Trump’s attack on Venezuela, six countries warn – live

Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay condemn ‘dangerous precedent’ set by US attack on Venezuela

Trump threatens Venezuela’s interim leader

Summary

Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay condemn ‘dangerous precedent’ set by US attack on Venezuela

Delcy Rodríguez recognized as Venezuela’s acting president by defense minister

Marco Rubio attempts to distance US attack on Venezuela from past invasions

Marco Rubio: US to continue to pressure on Venezuela by seizing oil shipment boats

Republican walks back Trump’s claim US will ‘run’ Venezuela

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